Thirty Five Years Later
by Fritz Baugh
Summary: June 8, 2019-Year 37 .The present is the transition point between the past and the future; and perhaps this is more true than ever. As Egon, Janine, and many other Ghostbusters past and present celebrate GBI's success, two similar looking vehicles-one a rusted wreck, one a state of the art high tech marvel-hint at the futures about to unfold in more than one universe.


**Somewhere...Somewhen...**

* * *

A chill wind blew over the Oklahoma plains.

A dilapidated barn stood on a run-down farm.

Ozone tinged the air.

A crackle of electricity.

The wind catches a tarp.

Underneath is a rusty 1959 Cadillac Miller Meteor; faded white and red paint cover the exposed rear door. A peeling decal with insignia of a cartoony ghost being covered with the international prohibition sign, a red circle with a slash through it.

An out-of-date license plate bearing the vanity designation "ECTO-1"...

* * *

A half-second out of phase from reality, something watches the scene.

_Wow_ it thinks. _I really need to remember to put 681 back into my rotation. _

_It looks like something __interesting__ is finally about to happen here again!_

* * *

**GHOSTBUSTERS: THIRTY-FIVE YEARS LATER**

**From the Case Files of Dr. Fritz V. Baugh, Ghostbusters International**

* * *

The room was dominated by a central console; a large blue high-tech chair sat nearby, empty, but connected to the center console by a number of cables.

At the top of the console, three gyroscopic rings rotated slowly around what appeared to be large chunk of glowing quartz.

Near the console was a hatstand, with a long, dark blue coat draped around it.

One of the panels on the chair was open; a pair of legs in khaki pants and black tennis shoes stuck out from the panel.

An alert sounded, one conspicuously similar to that of a certain fictional time machine's cloister bell.

A computerized female voice broke the silence.

_"Dimensional transit to Null Zone in progress. Tracking."_

The khaki pants and black shoes withdrew from the chair, bringing the rest of their owner with them, a gray-haired man in a blue tee shirt and work gloves, his eyes covered by red-tinted set of ether goggles.

There was a knock at one corner of the room.

_"Dimensional anomaly tracked from sidereal reference 01-16-7E3 plane 0681. Dimensional IPQ identified, reference code 4820 designate 'Deek' "_

"Deek?" the man said as he sat up.

The knock came again. "So does your computer babe say it's okay to come in now? Or do I have to start taking the door apart?" a somewhat muffled squeaky voice said.

The visored man made an affectionate chuckle, and pulled a lever.

The door opened to admit an unusual meter-tall creature. The tail, and horns protruding from the back of its head (with a smaller one on its nose) made it look vaguely reptilian, but it was covered in a layer of smooth soft blue fur. _Like a cross between a Digimon and Chipmunk_ is how the man had once described the creature to himself. _A Digimon or Chipmunk with four arms instead of two, granted._ A mess of mint green hair covered its head; a rather incongruous pink ribbon and bow hung down from it.

"I still don't know why you don't just give me a key to this place, Ulforce." the creature-Deek-said in a playful, chirpy voice. _Again, very Chipmunky_ "You don't get a lot of visitors here, never mind cute female ones."

"I also don't give keys to the ones who'd steal all my Munch Bars." Ulforce retorted, nevertheless pulling a Munch Bar from the center console and tossing it to her. "So what brings the Chronicler of Realities to my humble null zone today?"

"Beside the Munch Bars?" Deek giggled, stuffing a piece of the candy in her mouth as she sat down on a stool near the center console. "Well, I figured one of the Chronomancers might be interested in what I just saw, and since Delphia doesn't have any candy, I picked you."

"Lucky me." Professor Ulforce replied, studying some readings on one of the console's screen. He then sat down in the chair. "So what's up?"

She reached into the pockets of her red hoodie, and pulled out a notebook, which she then rifled through. "Well, last time I told you about how plane 1423 has gotten into a nasty dimensional snarl. Gotten all tangled up with 6886, 6897, 1484, 8016, and I'm sure one or two I've forgotten." She looked at him, and winked one of her large, black eyes that appeared to be all-pupil. "But not 8932. If that one had been involved, I'd have told you sooner, though you probably would've already known."

"Okay."

"I tell you, other than that dumb incident with the ghost gangster, 1423 showed such promise...then came that horrible thing Tiamat did to Winston, even before the dimension snarl kept getting worse and worse. I really hate how much of a headache it's starting to give me."

Ulforce coughed.

Deek batted her eyes. "You got something to drink? This chocolate makes a girl thirsty."

He shrugged and pushed a button. A can of Pepsi appeared from a part of the console, which she quickly snatched.

"So anyway, I was taking a break, probably going to head to 8932 to check out the GBI anniversary in 2019, but on a whim I went over to 681."

Ulforce rubbed his jaw. "Remind me on that one."

Deek made a trilling giggle. "That's an important one, you big silly! Because it's the first universe with Ghostbusters in it I ever saw! Before 1423, before 8932, or 6897, or even 6886! So maybe that makes it more important, like to me it's the original."

Ulforce shrugged. "And that's why you're the Chronicler of Realities and I'm just a Chronomancer."

"Anyway, the downside of it is, it's been ages since anything interesting happened there...I know they had the Vigo thing but I'm not even sure off the top of my head if the Architect and those weird Rookies happened there...I guess I'll have to recheck on that."

She started rooting through her notes again. "And I've also been visiting 7545. Neat stuff there. You know Kevin Rivera is gay in that universe? And he's married to Oscar Venkman? Grife, that's hot..."

Ulforce sighed. "Deek."

"Oh yeah, 681." Deek giggled, stowing her notebook. "Well, I don't know what yet, but there's some weirdness going on in Oklahoma, right around 2019. I saw the original ECTO-1 rusting in a barn!"

Ulforce hummed to himself. "I don't remember anything about Oklahoma around 2019 from GBI case files...but it may be something that didn't happen, or happened differently."

"Which is why I'm gonna go back soon and keep an eye on it." Deek finished the Munch Bar. "But first like I said I'm going' to the big 35th anniversary dinner in my favorite timeline. You wanna go?"

Ulforce smiled enigmatically. "I was there."

* * *

**Ghostbusters International Headquarters**  
**Thirtieth Street and Seventh Avenue**  
**Saturday, June 8, 2019**  
**Ghostbusters Omnibus Timeline Year Thirty Seven**

* * *

The yellow Volkswagen convertible pulled into one of the parking spaces marked "SPECIAL RESERVE"-the third of four such spaces. The other three were already occupied-by an expensive Italian import, a pea soup green sport utility vehicle, and a burgundy Mustang.

The passenger door opened, and a tall, white-haired man with red-rimmed glasses got out. He grabbed a cane from the back seat. "Looks like we're the last ones here."

The gray-haired woman who got out of the driver's seat chuckled. "I prefer to think of it as us being fashionably late." she said in a Brooklyn accent that was more pronounced in her younger days.

"Peter would no doubt insist that he's the fashionably late one, and we're just simply late." Professor Egon Spengler noted. "You feeling all right?"

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't be here." Janine Melnitz Spengler, his wife of almost twenty-one years, replied. She poked him with her elbow. "In fact, I keep feelin' this good, some incredibly smart man may get lucky tonight."

He raised an eyebrow, and made an approving noise.

She pointed to a red Volkswagen. "Looks like the kids made it."

"I see Roland's car too, and the test vehicle from the Institute." Egon noted, pointing to a Cadillac Fleetwood. "They tested a lot of the upgraded systems on it. I understand it's a 1983."

Janine smiled. "That seems appropriate. Somebody remembers the real anniversary."

* * *

**One Half Second Out of Phase With Reality**

* * *

_Personally, Professor, I'd say you were right on time!_ Deek mused, having just entered the timeline herself.

This was her power, one unique to her: the ability to slide into different parallel timelines. It was the power that drew the attention of the Council of Eight, and earned her the position of Chronicler of Realities.

Along with that, by putting herself just a half-second out of phase with the timeline, she could observe without being seen herself.

_"The Cosmic Voyeur" is what Vee called me once._ Deek shrugged to herself. _But why deny it, when it seemed like the forces of the universe made me uniquely capable of it?_

* * *

"Uncle Egon! Aunt Janine!" The excited exclamation came from Charlene Zeddemore.

Janine gave her a long hug. "Winston said he thought you were making it, and I'm glad he was right!"

Egon gave her a briefer hug. "You're looking quite well. Did any of your teammates make it?" He smirked slightly. "Doctor Zeddemore?"

"Hey now, that's not official yet." she chuckled. "Thought I gotta admit, since my lead was only six and a half years, being beaten by Eden and Johnny by only a year doesn't feel too bad."

Charlene was now twenty six and a half years old. A decade earlier, she'd served summer internships with the Los Angeles based Ghostbusters West Coast Division; she'd graduated to Reservist after high school, and spent her summers there during her undergrad years at Columbia University. In 2015, she became essentially a full time member of the West Coast team while continuing her studies part-time at UCLA. Four years later, her hard work was about to pay off.

"It's an accomplishment to be proud of no matter your age." Egon pointed out. Charlene blushed slightly.

"And it's not like you got the degree out of a Cracker Jack box." Janine added. "Oh, hey, there's Peter over there!" she added with an impish grin. She rolled her eyes. "Not as satsifying when he doesn't hear me say it, but thirty-six years of practice and all."

Charlene shook off her daze, and gestured. "Fritz, Chelsea, and Jason are around here somewhere."

"Yeah, I see GBI's most fertile couple over there with Peter." Janine said. She looked around. "Speaking of the Twins..."

Charlene shrugged. "I think they have something to do with the big announcement Uncle Pete's making. They're off doing prep on that I guess."

Egon made an enigmatic smirk. "That would make sense, yes." "Then you know what it is?" Charlene asked.

"Of course I do." Egon replied, with an enigmatic smirk.  
[ [ hr ] ]

_You're up to something, aren't you, Professor? I like that..._

* * *

"Rose sends her regards, Janine." Chelsea said.

Janine nodded with a smile. "Guess she's enjoying her retirement with her husband, then. Glad to hear it straight from someone who's actually seen her in person sometime within the last few years."

Chelsea chuckled. "Well, it's technically a semi-retirement; she still helps out from time to time. Like right now."

"Somebody's gotta keep LA from being sucked down to the tenth level of Hell, I know the drill." Janine chuckled back. "She definitely kept me from falling into another circle of Hell back in the day." Janine paused. "So is she also helping take care of that enormous litter of kids you have while you're here?"

Chelsea laughed. "No more than she can help. Their Uncles Al and Scotty are taking point on that. They always get along with them. Even Abigail, who's now almost twelve and knows everything of course..."

Janine chuckled again. "Try dealing with two twelve year olds that compared to you really do know everything." She did a mocking impression of a deeper voice. " 'Why should I listen to someone who doesn't even know how to calculate the quantum number of cobalt's valence electrons?' "

"Ouch" Chelsea rolled her eyes.

Charlene poked Chelsea. "Is Jason trying to chat up Dr. Holtzmann?"

Janine had to stop from belly-laughing. "Poor guy...he doesn't know about Jillian, does he?"

"Maybe I better go save him before he embarrasses himself." Charlene said amiably.

* * *

Fritz took a sip of his Pepsi. "Word through some grapevines has it that a certain Academy in Stockholm is finally taking a serious and long overdue look at your work, Professor."

Egon raised an eyebrow. "So I've been told also. More the dimensional axis theory work than paranormology. I suspect the hand of one of my Nineties grad students in that."

"Mark Brandenburg?" Fritz asked.

Egon nodded. "It's not just my work, of course. Raymond was invaluable, and in the unlikely event those rumblings come to fruition I will insist that he share the honor."

Standing right next to them, Venkman coughed.

"And I will probably let them know Doctor Venkman helped type up the original papers."

"Proper credit is important!" Venkman said brightly.

Fritz nodded. "Everyone in GBI will be pulling for you, Professor."

Venkman looked at this watch. "Oops...about time for the big reveal. See you guys in a few."

Fritz looked at Egon as Venkman left. "I look foward to finally seeing what this big surprise is."

* * *

_"I was there"?_ Deek thought to herself. _You can't mean Doc Fritz...I know the resemblance is astounding, but you were still stuck in the Shadowfell in 2019...right? _

_And I wonder what Doc would say if he knew your computer sounded just like Chelsea B..._

* * *

Egon had his arm around Janine as he took a look around the room. There were quite a few Ghostbusters past and present at the congregation.

Ray Stantz was on the other side of Egon. Even the youngest of the original Ghostbusters was almost sixty years old, though he looked younger. Egon sometimes would imagine that if Ray shaved off his beard-and grew back the hair he'd started to shave off his head-he'd look barely different than he did in 1991.

Ray was all by himself tonight: his wife and son, along with GBI stalwart Vincent Belmont, were occupied with the regional tribunals of the Order of Hermes. As the Grand Tribunal-a combination convention, reunion, and giant party held by the wizards every thirty-three years-was scheduled for next summer, the current tribunals were handling necessary preparation.

The Baughs were talking with the leader of the Onarga, Illinois franchise, remembering a particularly strange incident from 2005.

Charlene's parents, Winston and Kaila Zeddemore, were there, of course. As was Charlene's cousin, a member of the Spengler Institute staff, Patty Tolan.

Egon's niece Jen, formerly of a Brooklyn franchise, was chatting with Dr. Kylie Griffin and Eduardo Rivera, of the current team utilizing the former Hook and Ladder Number Eight.

There were a couple of the New York reservists on hand; Alan Crendall and Bridget Gibbons. Jason Knetge was chatting with the latter now, and it was going much better than his earlier conversation with Jillian Holtzmann.

Not far away was Holtzmann's teammate Dr. Erin Gilbert and her date, Kevin Beckman, who resembled a Norse god but was...easily confused.

Finally, Peter Venkman asked for everyone's attention. Standing beside him were the current Director of Ghostbusting Operations for GBI, Richard Roy; as well as Holtzmann; and Egon and Janine's daughter Eden Spengler.

"Thank you all. So..."

The room started talking louder.

Venkman smirked and nodded his head.

With a round of laughter, the crowd then calmed down.

"So, thirty-five years, huh? I mean, all the cool kids know it's actually been thirty-six, but 1984 is when Ghostbusters International was first incorporated, and a little movie you may have heard of came out. Made a lot of money, too, even though Bill Murray doesn't look anything like me."

Egon rolled his eyes, and there were a few laughs around the room.

"From the first big case with Gozer, all the way through the Boogeyman, Samhain (that's how it's pronounced, not Sam Hain, like the magician), Cthulhu, and a lot more, there was one constant in the first three years of our little Ghostbusting business..."

A large screen between Venkman lit up, and footage of the ECTO-1 started to play.

"That '59 Cadillac Miller Meteor that Ray bought for more money than I like to remember went through a lot with us. But eventually, things like being possessed by a pissed off Indian Earth spirit and being hurled across Central Park by the Shadow Phantom, caught up with it."

More footage played, of the ECTO-1 sputtering and backfiring, with smoke trailing out. "It finally quit on Ray and Winston on the Brooklyn Bridge after a birthday party, which was quite embarrassing."

Venkman's Cheshire grin appeared. "But right about then our money problems ended, so enter ECTO-1 number two!"

More footage played, of an upgraded, flashier car; in some of the shots, the Ghostbuster logo sported two fingers and the car a license plate reading "ECTO-1A"

"It's gone through some modifications..."

More footage of the second ECTO-1, with some variation of the roof rack, and a scene of Ghostbuster Garrett Miller rolling out of the car on a ramp.

"...And a few bad incidents of it's own, like being possessed by ghost gasoline, nearly getting stepped on by dinosaurs, and trashed by Black Bart; to once being re-possessed when we fell behind on a loan using it as collateral! Eesh!"

* * *

Deek flipped through her notes. _There are some universes where the ECTO-1 and "ECTO-1A" are the exact same car._ She closed the notebook. _And some universes where they trashed so many of the things they'd have run out of letters if they stuck by that system!_

* * *

"The second ECTO has more than earned a nice, cushy retirement, almost as cushy as the one I'll be enjoying one of these days." Venkman said. "At the end of this year, it will be moved here to GBI headquarters, at least temporarily. I'll have you know there's some discussion about the Smithsonian putting it on display, but first we gotta decide whether it means we gotta stay in Trump hotels on mission-adventures."

There was some uncomfortable laughter around the room. Fritz looked horrified at the thought. Janine rolled her eyes and she whispered to Egon "Only if we provide bedbug repellent."

"But hey...what happens after that, right? Roland and his crew gotta drive something to promote the company and go catch all those ghosts in, right?" Venkman gestured dramatically. The lights lowered, save for one floodlight pointing at a curtain. "Well, Ladies, Gentlemen, Other, and None of the Above, I present to you the future of Ghostbuster transportation."

An ignition noise, and a rumbling engine presaged the opening of the curtain.

There was an audible gasp, and lots of "Wows."

The car that drove into the center of the gathering was shiny, new, and clean. The familiar Ghostbuster logo was emblazoned on its doors and trunk.

It's license plate read "ECTO-1R"

The car came to a stop; Roland Jackson-of the current Ghostbuster team-and Johnathan Spengler-of the Spengler Institute-got out of the vehicle. They opened the back doors and trunk to allow the audience to get a look at the inside.

" 'R' is for 'Replivehicle'..." Ray explained, stepping over to Venkman, and addressing the audience. "It looks a lot like the Cadillacs...but it isn't. It's a totally brand new vehicle!"

"Made under a mutually beneficial licensing agreement with GM and everything!" Venkman added.

"The shell is a specially formulated polyplastic designed to offer unique protection from ectoplasmic entities." Roland spoke up. "It'll be a lot harder for an Earth spirit or ectoplasmic gasoline to possess this baby."

John Spengler stepped forward. "And in case you were wondering about us running the engine in this room and filling it with carbon monoxide? Don't. The powerplant is a state of the art fuel cell system. Emission is nothing but harmless water vapor. The engine noises are actually artificial-my sister recreated them from recordings of the current ECTO's engines for authenticity."

There were some more glances around, and a few whistles of approval.

"GBI's been a leader in practical handling of liquid hydrogen for a long time." Holtzmann pointed out. Egon nodded. "The work of Doctor Stantz and Professor Spengler in that regard led to this." She pinched John's cheek. "Guess that explains why this guy was the one who put it all together."

"The roof rack and internal systems have been redesigned and modernized.' Ray continued. "No more old video game motherboards on this baby-top line stuff here. It's been vigorously tested on the Spengler Institute's test vehicle, the ECTO-80C, over the last two years!"

"You might recognize some of the components." John pointed out. "The data transceiver dish, the helium tank, the HVAC, the nuclear power cell, the 'Green Box'..." John looked over at Egon. "Hey, Pop, are all the replivehicles gonna get the 'Green Box'?"

Egon raised an eyebrow. "I will decide that on a case by case basis."

"And here's my favorite part for a variety of reasons." Venkman pointed to one component. "Roof-mounted proton cannon, controlled by center seat in the back of the car. No poor heroic schmuck having to lash themselves to the roof rack when chasing those biker ghosts!"

There were a few knowing looks between the other original Ghostbusters on that comment.

Eden indicated some of the internal components. "The computer system has been completely modernized, taking advantage of the onboard wifi hotspot to allow broadband connection to the TOBIN network and any GBI server."

"You can also stream cat videos during boring stake-outs." Holtzmann added.

"You did hear Johnny say 'replivehicles' plural, right?" Venkman said brightly. "That's right, my friends, beginning next year, ECTO-1R replivehicles will become available to all GBI franchises. For very affordable financing rates, I promise!"

"This one will be transferred to the original franchise." Ray explained. "Kinda like the ECTO-1A back in 1988 and 1989, when the current car's registration expires on January 1st, this will become the new ECTO-1! Boy, it's gonna be cool!"

"I imagine Ray will be spending some time in the field around New Years." Janine said, prompting a smirk from her husband.

"You think we'll get one?" Chelsea asked Fritz.

"We'll have to see those 'affordable financing' terms." Fritz answered.

* * *

Deek mused. The new replivehicle's lines and decorations were so much like the original ECTO-1 from the 1980's...it made her think of the rusted out one she'd seen in timeline 681. _An odd convergence of past and future..._

She looked at Egon and Janine's children. _And those two aren't going to stick around at the Spengler Institute forever. I think they're ones to watch. _

_It's gonna be fun to see_

* * *

"Well, how do you think we did?" John asked.

"I may be dreadfully biased, but I thought you were both fantastic!" Janine answered.

"I agree." Egon nodded. "Though I may also be quite biased."

"The onboard computer runs on a custom system I wrote myself." Eden added. "It's based on Linux but the PK sensor array required a new program, which I based off the operation system from the 3.2 PKE meter..." She paused. "I forgot to say that in the presentation, didn't I?"

Egon did something he didn't much; he laughed.

"Pop?" John asked.

Eden blushed. "I didn't think it was that big an oversight..."

"No no no..." Egon shook his head. He hugged his wife, looked at his two children-just days days short of their twentieth birthday-and pulled something out of his pocket. It was a midway token from the 1964 Worlds Fair.

"When your Mother gave this to me thirty-six years ago, just before the showdown with Gozer, I told her I didn't believe in luck." Egon shook his head. "I was a fool. Because I look at what my life has become, and I realize I'm the luckiest human being in all of history."

* * *

_I don't know if you're right about that, Professor_ Deek laughed to herself as she phased out of the reality she knew as "timeline 8932" _But I do know you're not wrong about it, either_

* * *

**Some Time Earlier**

* * *

_"You know why 8932 is my favorite, Vee?" Deek asked, sipping her cola. _

_"This isn't going to be an exercise in ass kissing, is it?" Ulforce replied. _

_Deek laughed so hard she fell off her stool. "Of course not! I don't need another Munch Bar today anyway!" _

_She sat back up and got a more serious look. She did manage to not spill her drink, fortunately. _

_"So what is it, then?" Ulforce asked. _

_"8932 has the best Egon Spengler." Deek answered simply. _

_An eyebrow shot up. "I'm biased, of course, but go on." _

_Deek took another sip. "All Egons are reality-crackingly smart. Or they could have been. I've seen a few scrub universes where the Boogieman picked some other kid's closet to jump out of, or Egon never met Peter Venkman and the others...and he pretty much always succeeds in academia somewhere, but pretty much never rises above where 8932 or 6897 were in the early 90's at the community college." _

_"Anyway, I'm talking about the successful ones-the ones who become Ghostbusters. In a lot of those timelines, he never figures it out; he stays all cold and weird and never really connects with people. 681 sure looked that way last time I was there-this was a guy who didn't even care about his Janine degrading herself with Louie Whatsisface, for sprock's sake." Deek snorted. "And boy, with all the good stuff that only happens in some universes, why did that shitshow pop up in just about every one?" _

_Ulforce shook his head. "Desperate people sometimes do desperate things." _

_"Anyway..." Deek continued. "...Then there's the places like 6886 and 6897, where he starts to put it together...but can't figure out what to do with it. Those two timelines were pretty similar most of the way, but 6897 took a little longer, and last I saw things were looking pretty good." _

_"But then you get places like 1423. That Spengler figured it out-and denied it. He buried it in a deep dark hole of his soul, and while he did become one of the more accomplished Egons, cracking the dimensional axis in the 90's, he also became hard and arrogant-he designated his universe the 'Prime' one, for example, like it's somehow more important than all the rest." _

_Ulforce shrugged. "Well, to him it is." _

_"And then he actually talked himself into believing that his timeline was the only one to fight Gozer! All he had to do to blow up that nonsense is ask those guys from 6886 why they wear different colored jumpsuits!" She was looking angry, though due to her small size and soft features, Ulforce didn't find her anger all that intimidating. _

_"But that's nothing compared to the worst, most broken version of Egon Spengler." Deek shook her head. "10211." _

_Ulforce nodded slightly. "Nodus." _

_"Even just hearing about that guy from you gave me the creeps." Deek shuddered. "The same denial as 1423, but taken to the extreme. He could literally bend reality, but that's just it-he became so full of himself that he thought time was a plaything. His plaything, that he could reshape to his own whims. Set everything 'right'. And once again, obsessed with seeing the 'primal continuity' and the 'source code of reality'. In the end, that arrogance destroyed him." _

_Deek looked up, and a smile came back onto her strange face. "But 8932 is the Egon Spengler who got it right. He's the one that not only figured it out, but after running away from or ignoring it like the others, finally embraced the truth." _

_"And what is that truth, then, Deek?" Ulforce asked. _

_"That he's a human being." Deek answered. "That having friends, that falling in love, they don't 'distract' him or make him less of a scientist-they actually make him a better one. That for all of his accomplishments, even the greatest of minds isn't happy alone. That it's only with his three brothers and the love of his life at his side that he'll be the greatest mind of all." _

_Ulforce nodded, now smiling himself. "I agree with that ten billion percent."_

* * *

**Epilogue**  
**Amherst, Massachusetts**

* * *

As an old story had it, this abandoned plot of land was cursed.

Businesses had been built here, but none had thrived. An attempt to build housing here ended when the incomplete facility burned down.

It all started, folklore said, when some demonic cult set up shop there a century ago; the cult didn't last long, but the murder of a young girl and the spontaneous combustion of a local magician were only the start of the curse.

Even the local hoods and troublemakers tended to stay away from it.

Which made it all the more remarkable that someone was furtively slinking onto the plot of cursed land.

The limp-haired little man looked around; he shivered. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a crystal. He started to chant.

_Acba yin Lo-kum yin Agu yin Seraph-Mytyn_

The wind howled. The crystal glowed an angry reddish orange, and the hand dropped it onto the barren ground

The crystal began to burn; within seconds, it was an inferno.

There was an angry shout from within, as a dark, human shape appeared in the flames.

A few seconds later, and the fire was gone as suddenly as it had started, leaving behind that human shape.

A man with black hair and a mustache, wearing no clothing. He shook his head as though in a daze. He inhaled deeply, then started to cough. "Zounds...what have they been doing to the air here the last ninety years?!"

"Master Zoraldo?"

The naked man turned to the smaller man. "Roderick Dimsworth, I presume?"

The smaller man bowed. "Yes, Master."

"Then I really have made it..." Zoraldo sighed, and his voice became smoother. "After nine decades, I walk the Earth again. Er..."

Dimsworth held out a robe.

Zoraldo quickly donned it. "Much better. You're very much the image of Barton, your great grandfather. Though I'm surprised he ever worked up the nerve to even talk to a woman."

"My car is waiting, Master. We must not stay here-the locals think this place is cursed, and will notice if we remain."

Zoraldo laughed. "Of course this place is cursed, Dimsworth! I cursed it! But point taken-the longer I can avoid attracting attention, the better it will be for the task we have been given."

As they got into the car, Zoraldo sighed. "Your family's devotion will be rewarded, I can promise you that. Now...we need only one thing."

"It was last seen in Europe, Master. The information will be awaiting you at my house."

"Then it is to Europe we will go, Dimsworth. We will find the Eye. And all we have worked for nine decades to achieve will come to pass..."

* * *

The story of Zoraldo...and a new generation of timeline 8932's Ghostbusters!

**Ghostbusters 2021: The Eye of Aretpo!**  
(Which is already posted here at FFN)

As for what's going on in timeline 681 and that Oklahoma barn?

That story will come to a theater near you on July 10, 2020...

* * *

Based on _Ghostbusters_ Created by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis

_Extreme Ghostbusters_ Created by Fil Barlow

_Ghostbusters: Answer The Call_ Created by Paul Feig and Katie Dippold

_Ghostbusters West Coast Division_ Created by Andy Harness and Vincent Belmont

_Ghostbusters 202X_ Created by Fritz Baugh and OgreBBQ

* * *

Ectozone Editorial Staff: Dr. Vincent Belmont, EGB Fan, TheRazorsEdge.  
Additional Beta: Kingpin, OgreBBQ

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All characters not taken from official Columbia/Sony material are created by Fritz Baugh unless otherwise specified. GBI members are owned by their respective creators.

I consulted the awesome _Haynes Ghostbusters Ectomobile Owner's Workship Manual_ by Troy Benjamin (formerly "netsolo") and Marc Sumerak for some of the details about the ECTO-1 line.

Reference made to material from _Ars Magica_, created by Jonathan Tweet and Mark Rein•Hagen in 1987; now owned by Atlas Games save a few concepts owned by White Wolf Games.

Thanks to Terrace of the Ectozone. His posts asking about the changeover from ECTO-1(A) to ECTO-1(R) helped inspire me to finally write something about it.

Dimsworth's incantation is a little in-joke to the _Palladium Fantasy Role Playing Game_ by Kevin Simbieda, and is based on the power words presented there.

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